The Bronze Age is the period in the history of mankind when bronze products played a leading role. The chronological boundaries of the Bronze Age vary from culture to culture, but in general its beginning dates back to the 35th-33rd centuries. BC, and completion - to 13-11 centuries. BC.
Products made of bronze - an alloy of copper from tin - replaced the copper products. Bronze melts at a lower temperature than copper; articles made of it are more durable. The appearance of bronze products contributed to the development of agriculture and the economy as a whole, which led to the emergence of the first states - these were the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Syria, and the Eastern Mediterranean. At the same time, there are vast territories where the structure characteristic of the previous era — the Eneolithic and the Copper Age — is preserved.
Tools and weapons
Speaking about the appearance of bronze tools, it should not be assumed that they completely supplanted stone ones - during the whole Bronze Age both tools were used in parallel. In some types of work, stone tools were superior in quality to bronze ones - even at the beginning of the Iron Age, the limestone blocks from which the Egyptian pyramids were built were processed with stone tools, bronze was too soft metal for this. In addition, the deposits of metals necessary for the manufacture of bronze are not everywhere.
The first bronze tools were created on the model of stone. For example, the oldest bronze ax - a flat celt - resembles a stone one in shape. In the future, there are axes with a blade forged on the sides, there are parts that are designed to attach the ax more firmly to the wooden handle. A bronze spear develops similarly. It is noteworthy that some details, having lost their functional value, remain as decorative elements - for example, rivets on spears.
